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Caught in the act: From car karaoke to peeping on others, Torontonians admit coping with traffic has put them in awkward situations

Beat the Traffic survey results find 40% of GTA drivers spend more than an hour a day in gridlock

Oakville, Ontario, July 14, 2014 Survey results released today reveal Toronto traffic congestion continues to be problematic for 71 per cent of GTA drivers, as nearly half (40%) estimate their time in gridlock to be more than an hour a day. Beat the Traffic commissioned the survey, which uncovered how GTA motorists cope with traffic.

Whether it's training to become the next Katy Perry, or peeking in at the amusing habits of others on the road, GTA drivers have found ways to make the best out of their time while sitting in traffic. Fifty-six per cent of survey takers confess to being "car stars” and singing along with the latest hits, though 38 per cent say they find it embarrassing to be caught in the act. Another half (51%) prefer to people-watch to pass the time, which can awkwardly backfire, as 15 per cent of GTA commuters admit to being caught picking their nose by another vehicle.

The car appears to be a popular place for multitasking, as 51 per cent of GTA drivers admit to eating or drinking while sitting in traffic, with 32 per cent who believe it saves time to eat breakfast while sitting bumper to bumper. And, even with tough laws about using the phone while driving, 34 per cent of survey takers feel that using a cellphone is okay if the car is stopped. Looking to utilize this time, 27 per cent talk on the phone, while 19 per cent use traffic congestion as time to read through emails and text messages. What drivers aren't doing because of the time spent in gridlock is exercising (32%) and getting a full night's sleep (34%), according to the survey.

"Gridlock in Toronto is like the weather – something everyone loves to talk about. With the amount of construction and the number of events taking place this summer, it's become a real pain point for Torontonians,” said Mark Thompson, Managing Director of Beat the Traffic. " A whopping 80 per cent of survey respondents said that they'd rather keep moving on a longer route than sit idling in city traffic, and that's where Beat the Traffic steps in to help.”

Beat the Traffic is a traffic information service that provides commuters with comprehensive information in order to make their planned trip as effortless and as efficient as possible. Powered by a blend of crowd source, public and private data suppliers and live operators Beat the Traffic provides comprehensive real-time traffic coverage through its mobile app and at www.beatthetraffic.com.

Beat the Traffic offers the following tips to help daily commuters get to their destination as quick as possible:

Know before you go.

Check real-time travel and traffic information relevant to your daily route before you leave the house; that way you can plan your trip before you start commuting.

Plan out alternative routes.

Beat the Traffic recommends smart routes so you can adjust your commute, avoid an incident and save time

Travel during non-peak periods.

Commute with half the amount of traffic on the road by leaving a little earlier or later.

Check traffic conditions for city streets, as well as highway reports.

Use a traffic information service, like Beat the Traffic, that provides detailed information for city as well as highway traffic info.

About the Survey

From July 4 to July 5, 2014, an online survey was conducted among 676 randomly selected adult Ontario residents who drive a car and are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.8%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Ontario. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Pelmorex Media Inc.

Celebrating 25 years, Pelmorex Media Inc. is the parent company of The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Beat the Traffic and Eltiempo.es. Pelmorex operates in Canada, US, Spain and the UK. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and smartphone apps. Pelmorex proudly owns Eltiempo, Spain's leading multi-platform weather information provider. With strong roots in weather, we continue to leverage technology and science to help consumers plan their day by expanding the Pelmorex family to include Beat the Traffic, a leading multi-platform brand that finds the fastest route from point A to point B. Pelmorex also operates Canada’s National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (NAADS) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies. Pelmorex has been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers as well as Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for eight consecutive years.